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How to Change Gantt Chart Bar Colors in Planner Premium

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user needs to customize the colors of Gantt chart bars in Microsoft Planner Premium but is unable to locate the necessary styling or formatting options.

Product: Microsoft Planner Premium
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Customizing a project timeline view to visually highlight specific tasks, priorities, or statuses.
Observed behavior: The options to modify Gantt chart colors are hidden or seem to require specific premium license configurations to access.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active Microsoft Planner Premium or Project for the web license assigned to your account, as standard Microsoft Planner does not support advanced Gantt chart formatting.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Conditional Coloring for Gantt Chart Bars

Apply conditional coloring rules to automatically format task bars based on specific project fields or statuses.

Planner Premium utilizes formatting features similar to Project for the web, allowing you to create rule-based color coding for your timelines without manually editing each bar.

Open the Timeline View

Navigate to your project in Microsoft Planner Premium and switch to the Timeline or Gantt chart view.

Access Conditional Coloring

Locate and click on the 'Conditional Coloring' or 'Format' button situated in the top navigation toolbar.

Define Color Rules

Add a new rule and select the specific project field (such as status, priority, or assignee) that will trigger the color change.

Apply and Save

Choose your desired color for the condition and save the rule to instantly apply it to the corresponding Gantt bars.

Licensing Requirement: If you cannot find the Conditional Coloring option, verify with your IT administrator that a Planner Premium or Project for the web license is properly assigned to your user account.

Solution 2

Modify Colors Using Bar Styles Options

Directly format individual Gantt bars using the built-in style options in the timeline view, depending on your interface layout.

Free Project Management Solution

Create and Customzie Gantt Charts for Free in WPS Spreadsheet

If Microsoft Planner's licensing restrictions prevent you from customizing your project timelines, you can easily create and fully color-code Gantt charts using WPS Spreadsheet without needing a premium subscription.

1. Find a Template: Open WPS Spreadsheet and click on 'New' to search for 'Gantt Chart' in the free template library.
2. Input Project Data: Enter your project tasks, start dates, and task durations into the provided worksheet columns.
3. Format Task Bars: Right-click any task bar in the generated chart and select 'Format Data Series'.
4. Apply Custom Colors: Navigate to the Fill options and choose any custom color you prefer to highlight specific tasks.

Fully customize Gantt chart bar colors and styles without premium licensesSeamless compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formatsAccess to free, ready-to-use project management templatesLightweight and user-friendly interface for both offline and online tracking

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Gantt chart format option missing in my Microsoft Planner?

Advanced timeline formatting, including changing Gantt bar colors, is exclusive to Planner Premium and Project for the web. Standard Planner accounts only provide basic board and schedule views without advanced color customization capabilities.

Can I color-code tasks by assignee in Planner Premium?

Yes, by utilizing the Conditional Coloring feature in Planner Premium, you can create a rule that automatically changes the Gantt bar color based on the team member assigned to that specific task.

Are Planner Premium Gantt charts compatible with external spreadsheet tools?

You can export your basic Planner project data to an Excel file. Once exported, you can open the file in WPS Spreadsheet or Microsoft Excel to manually reconstruct the timeline and customize the Gantt chart colors without premium restrictions.

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